Have you been surprised by one of thredUp‘s bags in your recent order or been presented one by our sales associates? We hope you’ve had a chance to take advantage of this online consignment service that allows you to resell your gently used (or almost new clothing) to other families around the country and receive a Polarn O. Pyret customer credit in return. If you haven’t, we hope you’ll give it a try. It’s a great way to keep your kids’ outgrown, but still wearable, clothes playing and having fun.

We often receive questions about the thredUp bags so we thought we’d answer a few questions. If you have more, please let us know in the comments.

What am I to do with the polka-dot bag?

Fill up the bag with freshly-washed, name-brand clothing with no signs of wear or tear. (This is important for maximizing the credit you receive.) All the information on what they take and what it’s worth can be found on the thredUp Standards page.

Before you send the bag, you must register the bag. Activate the bag here. If you don’t register the bag, you may not get your credit.

How much Polarn O. Pyret credit do I receive when I send in a bag?

Customers can earn 10 to 40% of the resale value of accepted clothing as Polarn O. Pyret customer credit. If you need an idea of what you may earn, they have sample bags listed here. We have some customers who have earned up to $80 of Polarn O. Pyret credit. But others as little as $5. It really depends on what you send and how well it has been maintained.

Once I have filled the bag with name brand clothing, then what?

Leave it on your doorstep or near your mailbox for your mailman (or lady) to pick up or you can drop it off at USPS or UPS. thredUP processes the clothing in its facility and they will notify you on how much you will receive for the bag.

Your clothes will then be resold on thredUP’s online consignment shop or recycled. Every item that thredUP cannot resell is entered into its 100% Re-Use Program, a partnership with national textile distributors and recyclers to ensure that every item is re-used and doesn’t end up in a landfill.

How long does the process take?

The current bag-processing time from thredUP is 30 days. They will send a confirmation email letting you know when they received your bag. After reviewing your items, they’ll send you another email about your credit. Allow an additional week for Polarn O. Pyret to receive that information and process your gift certificate.

Is thredUP the right way for me to consign my items?

thredUP has strict quality standards and typically accepts 40-50% of the clothing they receive. For many parents, the convenience of just packing it up and shipping it off is enough, especially for our more urban customers who might be limited in storage space. We find many of our customers also shop with competing brands that together with Polarn O. Pyret pay out quite well in the thredUP shop. Please note that thredUP is not looking for items from lower-end shops where the price point is than $15.